Chapter 2
CHAPTER
Rubbing the sleep from my eyes, I grappled with the fact that I did not meet Varro as he requested. I just couldn’t yet bring myself to have the conversation. Not knowing what feelings he may or may not convey would have left me unprepared to react with composure.
It wasn’t like when I had lured Trace. Much of that had felt like theater…
until it wasn’t. We began and ended with the belief we’d never see one another again.
Despite being my most vulnerable with him, any semblance of our relationship eroded quickly with each passing day spent in Basdie.
Many times I felt like all that remained were tightly wound strings of attraction, jealousy, and a myriad of other unreconciled emotions.
But now my mate had been revealed to me. Whatever sentiments he or I had on the matter of our bond, we were already tied, bound to one another for the rest of our days. The will of the Imperi superseded our personal feelings, after all, so having any would distract us if not destroy us completely.
Lost to my thoughts, I headed to a late breakfast, then practically jumped at the presence of Varro standing in my doorway.
My reflexes narrowly saved me from running face-first into the center of his broad chest. Hesitantly, I lifted my chin to meet his expression, expecting disappointment but instead finding warmth.
“I...I’m sorry I didn’t meet you,” I uttered, uncharacteristically bashful.
Varro placed a gentle hand on my shoulder. I relaxed into the warmth of his grasp as he responded.
“I knew you wouldn’t come, but it was a relief to me, all the same, to know you would at least consider it. I’ve waited a long time to tell you. It’s a good thing I’m very patient.”
I breathed a sigh of relief. Irrationally, feeling slightly defensive, I said, “How did you know I wouldn’t come?”
Varro smiled, flashing his brilliantly white teeth, somehow still shining in the dreary light of Basdie.
“I have been paying attention to you for far longer than you realize, Moirai. Let’s just say, I know when you’re overwhelmed. And I don’t blame you.”
His words brought back memories of the various times he and I had caught one another’s gazes, and how suddenly my feelings of trepidation or anxiety would dissipate with that one glance.
Conceivably, Varro had been alleviating my emotions with Siren Song more often than I was aware of.
Before his confession, I might have felt like it was intrusive, but suddenly his actions, words and decisions, were all starting to make sense, like puzzle pieces slowly snapping into place.
He had been watching me and waiting patiently since the day we all bathed in the waters of Mirtith.
So much time had passed, that seemed like lifetimes ago.
How did he ever keep all of this to himself?
Had I any inclination of what was really stirring between us, would I have kept it a secret…
waited for him to acknowledge me? Part of me wished Gia were still here to discuss this with, especially knowing Nori wouldn’t ever engage in these kinds of relations.
And…well, Cairis’ advice would be worthless.
He’d tell me to fuck any handsome or charming Fae that showed interest.
“I’m paying attention to you now.” I replied cryptically, mustering my confidence, then pushed my hand flat against his chest and shoved him out of my doorway. “And…I’m starving.”
I smiled as he followed me to the dining hall. I felt a tickle along the bond in response to my coy behavior.
“Well, did you think I wouldn’t remark on the quaking of the literal mountain, Cress?”
Saryn sipped his drink and eyed me with annoyed accusation, while the others tried to act like they weren’t listening in on his interrogation.
I knew there wasn’t a chance in the three moons of Demir that he wasn’t going to bring it up.
I tried to conjure some sort of logical excuse, but he cut in before I could get out a word.
“While I’d like to assume this means your studies in that dusty closet are finally starting to pay off, I’m going to wager that was an uncontrolled outburst just like the first time. Otherwise, you would have been at my door to show me such an impressive feat, correct?”
I nodded in quiet embarrassment. This is precisely what the others didn’t realize and couldn’t relate to.
Their magic was confidently summoned, even under Saryn’s scrutinizing gaze.
My dark magic seemed to evade my grasp, evaporating just as I aimed to call upon it, then roaring to the forefront when I was unprepared to wield it.
I continued to nibble at my breakfast; my appetite ruined by Saryn’s judgement and Theory’s displeased glances from across the table.
“Everyone, breakfast is over. Join me on the flight deck. I have some experiments I’d like us to explore together.”
Saryn’s instruction had each of us looking equally concerned. His ideas were seldom enjoyable for us, though it didn’t dissuade him from subjecting us to them.
Many of us added layers of clothing before meeting outside.
The crisp winds of early winter left a sparkling frost all across the valley, and the temperatures were steadily beginning to drop.
The once-vibrant greens were now scattered with hues of burnt orange and deep red, except for the evergreens, who stood proud and tall amongst those that would shed their leaves.
Varro stayed close by my side at all times.
It occurred to me that he may have been positioning himself nearby far more often than I’d ever noticed.
“Nori, come here,” Saryn commanded as he pulled out a rope from a sack he’d carried with him.
We all watched as he stood behind her and told her to move her hands behind her back, then bound them with said rope. Loud enough for all of us to hear, he instructed, “If you so much as singe these ropes with fire, you will regret it. Do you understand?”
Nori nodded fearfully, glancing quickly between him and us and back again. What was he doing? If she couldn’t use her elemental manipulation, then what was she expected to do?
He then escorted her to the ledge of the flight terrace and faced her away from us so that we could only see her back and the rope.
“Cress…” Saryn yelled, drawing my attention to him instead of her.
“Tell me, can a Fae unfurl their wings when their hands are tied behind them in a position such as this?”
The question was absurd—and alarming. All at once, the fear overcame me when the answer would not come quickly enough. Maybe? No. Probably not? Was this a trick question?
“Let’s find out!” All of a sudden, Saryn pushed Nori over the edge of the cliff, and her high-pitched shriek echoed throughout the canyon.
There was only a single breath before I reacted, sprinting toward the ledge to go after her. The moment I was off the ground, I could see her plummeting without a single white wing in sight. Just the shrill sound of her screams following her down.
I angled my wings in tightly, trying to give myself the speed to catch up with her, fear of the ground we were spiraling towards increasing with each moment that passed.
When I reached her, I grabbed her and held the weight of her falling body to me.
Or attempted to. She was too heavy for me to hold aloft, and I was immediately pulled down after her.
Quickly, I snatched a blade from my thigh and cut the rope, freeing her arms.
“Fly!” I yelled in panic.
We were so close to the ground, I didn’t know if there would be enough time for her wings to unfurl before we hit the bottom. As the ground continued to rush toward us, suddenly, large, black wings came soaring quickly past me, scooping up Nori and leaving me in their wake.
I breathed a momentary sigh of relief; it was Cairis.
I flared my wings in an attempt to slow my collision with the ground, but achieved only moderate success.
I let my body roll into the dirt, trying to soften the blow of the impact.
My chest heaved with exhaustion. Varro was at my side in an instant, reaching to pull me up from the ground and steady me.
“Are you okay?” he asked, worry furrowing his brow as he scanned my body.
I took inventory of a few sore spots from the impact, thinking it could have been much worse. “Where is she?” I asked, ignoring his question and frantically searching for Nori and Cairis.
About ten feet away, I saw them both looking uninjured, but no less shaken than I was.
As I looked above us at the towering heights of the stone outlook, I could make out the hints of Saryn and Theory peering over the ledge.
Fury took over. Without another word, I left Varro in a gust of my wind and took flight straight up toward them.
The other three followed, landing shortly thereafter.
Nori didn’t need to concern herself; I was going to kill Saryn for the both of us.
“What the fuck was that?” I yelled, infuriated with his reckless treatment. “Tell me, Saryn, what exactly did we just learn from that little experiment?”
Varro pulled me back, knowing full well I might take a blade to Saryn again. I didn’t know if the throbbing I felt was the bond or just a blood-rush from anger and fear coursing through me.
Saryn didn’t even flinch. “It proved one or two things. Either fear of losing Nori isn’t a strong enough motivator to draw your power, or fear isn’t your real motivator.”
Before I could spew any sort of venomous retort, Theory added, “I do love to see you all acting like a team again.”